Halloweentown V The Final Revenge
by Paige242
Summary: Halloweentown Dylan and Marnie Piper both hope that the rest of their year at Witch U will be less eventful. Unfortunately, trouble seems to follow them wherever they go…
1. Fitting In

_Being the big kid that I am, I really enjoyed all four of Disney's 'Halloweentown' movies. Since I am avoiding homework, I decided to start writting out my little plot bunny. Not sure how many people have seen the movies...but whatever. The idea was calling to me._

_This one is set after the 4th one (Return to Halloweentown) and will focus on my favourite character (Dylan) _

_Enjoy! And please review if you want more!_

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Chapter 1

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Dylan Piper gave a loud yawn as he placed the dusty old book on his bedside table. It was almost midnight and he figured that he should attempt to get some sleep if he wanted to stay awake in class tomorrow. It had been very eventful weekend (to say the least) and he was looking forward to the beginning of a new, and hopefully less stressful, week. With the Sinister Sisters gone and the Dominion imprisoned he was optimistic that the rest of the year would be a lot smoother then the first month.

In truth, he didn't really hate being at Witch U as much as he pretended to. He had never really fit in the in the normal world and at least here, surrounded by trolls, goblins and other creatures, he didn't stand out as the freak.

Being able to freely talk about magic was perk as well. Ever since his first trip to Halloweentown at age 12, Dylan had felt the huge burden of his family's secret. No matter how much he had tried to deny it, deep down he knew that they were all different- and trying to hide that from the people in the mortal world sometimes wore him down. It was difficult to make conversation with people when you constantly had to make up stories to keep them from finding out the truth. He couldn't very well admit that his sister enjoyed riding her broom in her spare time…or that his grandmother lived in an alternate dimension…or that he came from the most powerful magical family in history…

He found it easier to keep to himself then to risk exposing the truth.

Things hadn't really gotten any easier after the exchange incident a few years ago either. If anything, they had gotten worse. Marnie- always the defiant one- had brought a group of Halloweentown students to their high school and ended up exposing everything in front of the entire student body. Initially, it seemed that their secret was met with acceptance, but as the weeks dragged by Dylan couldn't help but notice all of the weird looks and whispers that followed him where ever he went. He had attempted to distance himself from Marnie and deny what he was, but he eventually discovered that it was futile. That was why he had decided to fast track- and after picking up a few extra credits in second term, he managed to graduate at the end of the year and he was happy to put the entire high school experience behind him.

Unfortunately, by the time he decided to fast track, he had already missed the application deadline for mortal universities and had no choice but to spend the following year at home…well, he had been planning to spend it at home anyway…

When his mother asked him to accompany his sister to Witch U he had agreed- partially due to sheer boredom and partially due to his own curiosity. Although he would never admit it out loud, Dylan Piper had slowly been beginning to like magic. His lack of social life in high school had given him ample time to experiment with it and he had reluctantly begun to realize that having powers was actually pretty cool. He had spent many nights with his sisters old spell books, working his way through the fundamentals of magic. He was proud to say that he had mastered level one spells without any help- and without his sisters and grandmother having the slightest clue that his magic-hating talk was just an act.

His mom had, however, found him out a few months ago. He had been working on a frog conjuring spell late one night when she had come in to give him his clean laundry. He had been caught off guard and had accidentally conjured a particularly large frog on top of the pile of clean clothes, shocking both himself and his mother. Gwen had managed to get over her surprise rather quickly and they ended up having a nice long chat. He had always thought that his mother wanted him to be normal- that was why he tried so hard to live up to her expectations and hide his growing fascination with magic- but she had managed to make him feel better about everything and encouraged him to pursue whatever path he wanted.

When his mom decided that she didn't want Marnie to go to Witch U on her own, they had had another talk in which Dylan had admitted that a part of him really did want to see what the place was like. So she had signed him up…and that's why he was there now.

After giving another loud yawn, Dylan flicked his wrist and summoned his favourite pair of pyjamas into his hand. He was about to change into them when a knock at the door distracted him from his task. He threw the pyjamas onto this bed and walked towards the door, wondering who could be knocking at this late hour.

"Dylan, come on. I know you're in there" A voice whispered from the hallway. "Open up. It's me- Ethan."

Relieved that it was just his friend, Dylan yanked open the door and let the other young man inside. "Hey." He said as he closed the door behind him. "What are you doing wondering round so late?"

Ethan sighed and sat down on the chair behind Dylan's old oak desk. "Just got back from a date." He muttered, looking down at his hands. "With Marnie."

Dylan rolled his eyes- he really hoped that Ethan wasn't here to spew the details of his romantic escapades with his sister. "Er…okay." He replied. "I'm glad you guys worked things out, but I _really_ don't want to hear the details…"

"And I'm not going to give you the details." Ethan smirked. "But I was sort of hoping that you could help me out."

Dylan folded his arms across his chest and nodded for Ethan to continue.

"You see…" Ethan began again. "Lately I've been wondering if relinquishing my powers was really a good idea. I mean…when I did it, I was really upset- I felt betrayed by my father and I wanted to sever all connections to him. I didn't want to turn out like him. And I thought that getting rid of my powers was the best way to achieve that." The boy paused and began fidgeting with a paperclip on Dylan's desk. "But I think that maybe, I was wrong. Having powers doesn't mean that I'll end up like him. I get to choose how I use them, and I know I'd never use them for evil..."

He trailed off and looked up to meet Dylan's gaze.

"You know Marnie- and you know how much she loves magic. She'd never admit it, but I think she's disappointed that I'm not a warlock anymore. There are things that I can't do anymore…I can't give her everything I want to. Everything she deserves."

Dylan stared at his friend in confusion. There was no doubt in his mind that Ethan was a great guy who cared for his sister…but he wondered why Ethan was coming to him about this. What could he possibly do?

"Alright…" Dylan began slowly. "Can't you just get your powers back then? Somehow reverse whatever spell you used on yourself?"

Ethan shook his head. "I can't do anything." He admitted sadly. "I'm powerless. That's why I need _your _help."

"Me?" Dylan asked, raising an eyebrow in apprehension. "What can I do? I'm just…"

"A Warlock." Ethan cut in before he could finish. "And a Cromwell. If anyone can help me with this, it's you."

"Why don't you ask Marnie, I'm sure…"

"I can't." Ethan continued. "First of all, I don't want her to know, and secondly I need a warlock to do it, not a witch."

Dylan drew a deep breath and sat down onto the edge of his bed. Sure, he had mastered simple spells, but he had never attempted anything this complicated. He had no idea why Ethan was asking him of all people. There were tons of warlocks at Witch U, and he was willing to bet that they were all far more qualified.

"Look, Ethan…" he began. "I'm flattered that you think I'm capable of that kind of thing, but I really think that you'd be better off to ask someone else. I don't even like magic…I hardly know anything about it. I'm only here because I have to be and I…"

Much to his surprise and distaste, his sentence was interrupted by his friend's loud laughter.

"Ah man, you are too much." Ethan said, still grinning. "Look, I know you're still trying this whole denial thing, but Marnie told me about your crafty little reading spell. We both know that that kind of magic is at least a level two. You may not like to admit it, but I know that you're more powerful then you let on." He paused. "Plus, you're my friend. One of the best I've ever had. I can't think of another warlock I trust more…"

Dylan felt his cheeks heating up and he quickly looked down at the floor. "Fine." He muttered. "I'll do it."

Ethan jumped up from his chair, his eyes wide with excitement. "Great! It requires a spell and a potion. I have the instruction in my room- maybe we can go into town after class tomorrow and get the ingredients we need?"

"Yeah…sure." Dylan replied, still not totally sure why he had agreed to this.

"Excellent. I'll see you then. Thanks a lot man." Ethan began to move towards the door with a notable bounce in his step. His hand reached for the brass doorknob and he was about to head out when Dylan's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait." Dylan called, looking up at his friend. "If…I….if I'm going to help you with this, then I need to ask a favour too."

Ethan smiled. "Sure. Anything."

"I've been doing some thinking of my own." He began, not sure why he had suddenly felt the need to bring this up. "When I was in the mortal world, I never really fit in- I was always too weird. And yet here, I sort of feel like maybe…I'm not weird enough. I was wondering if…maybe…in exchange for helping you get your powers back, you could help me be a better…warlock."

Ethan's eyes widened and he stared at his friend in disbelief. "Sure, no problem. Can do." He paused. "I say we start with your wardrobe. No offence…but it does sort of scream 'mortal'. With my help, you'll have all of the witches in Halloweentown swooning over you in no time."

Dylan smirked. "I somehow doubt that…but thanks."

"No problem."

Ethan opened the door and began to head into the hallway when Dylan was struck with one final thought.

"Oh, and Ethan…" he began. "If you tell Marnie about what I just said I'll hex you into next week."

Ethan laughed and gave his friend a warm smile. "Don't worry. I won't utter a word."

And with that, he shut the door, leaving Dylan alone to mull over the evenings events.

As he crawled into bed and shut off the light, Dylan Piper could not help but feel optimistic. Maybe this would be the beginning of something. Maybe, just maybe, he would finally fit in…


	2. Change

Woohoo! One review! At least someone knows what the heck I'm on about ;)

Thanks a bunch to "tacobell" for the encouraging comments. I've been looking for a good Halloweentown story too…and when I couldn't find one, I decided to write one instead ;)

Hope you like the next chapter!

I've got a cold and have been confined to my room…thus I've been very productive (or unproductive, depending on how you see it…)

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2

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"Good morning Dylan." Marnie chirped as he took a seat across from her at the breakfast table. "Don't you look perky today."

Dylan glared at his sister. "Didn't sleep much." He muttered as he hunched over his tray and began shovelling scrambled eggs into his mouth. He really wasn't in the mood for her comments right now- he had spent most of the night tossing and turning as he thought over what he and Ethan had discussed.

Could he really carry out the spell and help his friend?

Was he really ready to embrace his weirdness?

Would he ever actually fit in?

He wanted to think so…but a part of him wasn't so sure.

"Any plans for today?" Marnie asked, obviously not getting the hint that he didn't want to talk. "Because I was thinking that after class it might be nice to go visit Grandma and Sophie…mom said they should be back from their trip by now."

"Can't. Busy." Dylan muttered before continuing to scarf down his breakfast. He really hoped she wouldn't pursue the subject further. He didn't want to spill Ethan's plans and he knew that she'd never let him live it down if she found out he had enlisted her boyfriend to help him fit in.

Marnie scoffed. "You? Busy? Doing what…"

Thankfully, Ethan chose that moment to arrive at the table and divert Marnie's attention. "Morning." He said, smiling down at his girlfriend. "Mind if I join you?"

The young witch smiled. "Of course not." She replied, scooting over and making room for him to sit down. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough." Ethan replied, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before beginning to dig into his food.

Dylan rolled his eyes and tried to get the image of his friend and his sister kissing out of his head. He was genuinely happy that the two had moved beyond mono-syllables, but the thought of anyone liking his sister _in that way_ made him slightly nauseous. He preferred not to think about it.

"So," Ethan began after taking a swig of his orange juice. "Have you guys heard anything about the changes in the school staff?"

"Not really." Marnie replied. "Professor Periwinkle told me that we're getting a new headmistress and a couple of new professors, but she didn't say much else."

The blonde boy nodded. "I heard that too. I also overheard some of the teachers saying that the new administration wants to introduce some new classes."

"Really?" Dylan asked, his interested peaked at the thought of more learning opportunities. No matter what world he was studying in, his main goal was to learn as much as possible.

Ethan nodded. "Maybe they'll bring back a few magical electives." He paused. "Although I guess that won't do me much good anymore…"

Marnie gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure whatever they do, they'll be sure to include everyone. I wouldn't worry about…"

But before the girl could finish her thought, a puff of purple smoke at the front of the cafeteria diverted everyone's attention.

A hushed silence fell over the room and the entire student body turned towards the mysterious display of magic. After a few moments, the smoke cleared to reveal an elegant, middle aged woman in a long purple cloak, surrounded by the members of the Witch U teaching staff.

Ethan, Dylan, and Marnie all exchanged perplexed looks.

"Students" the woman began, looking around the room with a warm smile on her face. "If I could please have you attention for a few moments it would be much appreciated." She paused and waited until every pair of eyes on the room was focused directly on her. "Excellent. I am Professor Imogene Locke, a proud graduate of this fine institution and the former minister of education for the Halloweentown governing council. As I'm sure you are all aware by now, your former headmistress and several members of her staff were wrapped up in a rather unfortunate plot and had to be removed from their positions. I am pleased to announce that I will be taking up the job of headmistress and have appointed replacements for those staff members who are no longer with us."

The students clapped politely at the news. Many were already optimistic that Professor Locke would effectively correct the problems which had arisen under the rule of the Dominion.

"Thank you. Thank you all very much." The woman continued with a gracious smile. "I also see it fit to announce that I plan to implement several changes that I hope will help improve your experience here at Witch U. Starting next week, we will be offering several optional- but undoubtedly useful- after school courses designed to help you foster your individual talents. Many of these courses will be taught by existing members of our staff and some will be taught by qualified members of our fine town. The aim of these courses is not to segregate the student groups, but rather to help develop the special skills unique to each of your species. The dominions suppression of all magic was designed to create discontent- and although use of magic in regular classes will remain strictly prohibited- I do believe that there should be assigned times in which you should all be allowed to exercise your gifts. We do, after all, want to offer you the best learning experience possible."

This proclamation was met with even more enthusiastic applause.

Dylan observed that Marnie was unable to keep the excitement off of her face- she was smiling widely and her eyes were full of anticipation. Luckily, he was able to exhibit far more self control. He had to admit, this idea sounded pretty good- it had always struck him as a bit odd that a magical university had forbidden the use of magic. He had agreed to come so that he could better develop his powers (not that he'd ever tell Marine that) and he was glad that he would finally have the opportunity to do so.

"We are still working on a few of the details." Professor Locke continued. "But we should be ready for assessment and sign up early next week. Until then, I hope that you will all help our new staff members get adjusted and show them what bright students you all are."

She smiled as the students broke out into one last round of applause and gave them all a curt nod before leaving the room in a swish of purple. Once the rest of the facility departed, the buzz of conversation once again filled the room as the students began to discuss this new development.

"This is going to be great!" Marnie exclaimed, beaming at both Dylan and Ethan. "I'm finally going to get to use some magic!"

"Yeah." Ethan replied, unsuccessfully masking his disappointment. "I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

Marnie hesitated slightly, realizing that her now-powerless boyfriend probably didn't share her excitement. "Don't worry Ethan." She began, placing a comforting arm around his waist. "I'm sure some of the electives won't involve magic. After all, a lot of the creatures here don't have powers. You and Dylan can sign up for something non-magical together…it'll still be fun."

Dylan looked up at the sound of his name and shot his sister an angry glare. "Who says I don't want to lean magic too?" he blurted out, instantly regretting his words.

Marnie stared at him apprehensively. "Right…" she began sarcastically. "Because you totally _love_ magic…you just can't get enough of it…"

Dylan felt himself filling with anger as his sister spoke. He was sick and tired of her assumptions and disparaging remarks.

She didn't know how he felt.

She didn't understand…

"I've had enough, Marnie." He half-shouted as he stood up from his seat and grabbed his tray. "You're not the only one in this family with powers. Like it or not, I _am_ a warlock and if I want to do magic then it really isn't any of your business."

Marnie stopped her rant and looked up at her brother in shock.

"I…well…" she stammered, not quite sure what to make of his little outburst. "Did you just use the 'w' word? I never thought I'd see the day…"

Dylan scowled at her for a moment before turning abruptly and storming out of the cafeteria.

"What was that?" Marnie muttered, turning to look at Ethan. "What did I say?"

Ethan sighed and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I don't really know. You might want to talk to him about it though…" he glanced nervously into the hallway. "Look, I have to go, but I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay…" Marnie replied, looking slightly confused.

The boy gave her another kiss on the cheek before taking off down the aisle and running out into the hall.

Marnie shook her head, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Boys…" she muttered quietly and she picked up her fork and finally began her breakfast.

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"Dylan! Wait up!" Ethan cried as he tore around the corner. "Come on man, talk to me."

Dylan finally slowed down and waited for his friend to catch up.

"What?" he asked, folding his hands across his chest. He clearly wasn't in the mood for a heart to heart chat.

"I just wanted to check on you…" Ethan began, giving his friend a reluctant smile. "You know what Marnie is like…she sounds sarcastic but she doesn't really mean it. She cares about you a lot, and I'm sure if you explain to her that you've had a change of heart she'll…"

"…mock me." Dylan finished, rolling his eyes. "Trust me, I know her. It's not even worth the effort."

"Ah, come on." Ethan tried again. "You have to see it from her point of view. To her, you've always been the one unwilling to embrace magic. Your thoughts on the matter may be changing, but unless you let her know, she's going to assume that you're the same."

Dylan sighed and leaned against the dusty brick wall. Maybe Ethan had a point. Maybe it would be best to talk about everything with Marnie. How could he expect her to see him differently if he couldn't admit to her that he_ was _different?

"Alright. You may have a point." He began reluctantly. "I'll try talking to her."

Ethan smiled. "Good…and we're still on for today after class right? With these new electives starting up next week I want my powers back more then ever…"

"Yeah, we're still on." Dylan replied. "Meet you out by the big oak tree?"

"Sounds like a plan." Ethan said before giving his friend one last smile and heading back towards the cafeteria.

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_Meanwhile, in an alternate dimension filled with captives and criminals…_

"This is preposterous!" Dr. Goodwin fumed, stamping her foot in futile protest. "I refuse to be imprisoned like this. If I ever get out of here I'll…"

"Get revenge on the Cromwell's?" Silas Sinister asked, his deep voice reverberating off the walls of their magical prison. "Yes…that would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Wishful thinking." Dr. Grogg muttered as paced back and forth across the room. "We're never getting out of here, and the Cromwell's are much too powerful"

"Always the optimistic one, aren't you?" Goodwin spat bitterly.

"I like to call it realistic…"

"Now now." Silas cut in. "Fighting won't do us any good. We'll find a way out of here…I'm sure my daughters are coming up with a plan as we speak."

Grogg scoffed. "I wouldn't count on it." He ignored Silas' glare and continued. "Besides, chances are they don't even have their powers anymore. If Periwinkle used the spell I think she did, putting you in here will have vanquished their powers as well. They're useless to us."

"Damnit!" Silas swore, clenching his fists in rage. "All the more reason to get out of here and get rid of those meddlesome Cromwell's once and for all…"

Silas was about to resume his rant when the sound of approaching footsteps caused all three of the prisoners to fall silent.

They exchanged nervous glances and waited as the sound drew nearer…

"Did somebody say 'Cromwell'?" a male voice asked as he slowly emerged from the shadows. "I've been plotting my own revenge on them for over a year…"

"Really…" Goodwin began, perplexed by the new arrival. "And who might you be."

"The name is Edgar Dalloway." He replied with a slight bow. "And I think I may have found us all a way out…"


	3. Plans

A/N _Thank you so much for the great reviews last time! You guys are awesome._

_I feel TERRIBLE for taking so long to update._

_I probably shouldn't have started this story when I did…this is a horrible time for essays and exams. Unfortunately I won't have time to make real progress for another two weeks- but I have a (hopefully) good plot in mind and I beg for your patience._

_Sorry that this chapter is short. Don't have time to write a long one right now. Hope its better then nothing! _

_PLEASE REVIEW!_

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Dylan walked towards the large oak tree that dominated the courtyard behind the school. His potion theory class had let out a few minutes early and he wasn't surprised to see that Ethan had not yet arrived. Figuring that he had at least a few minutes to relax before embarking on that afternoon's adventure, the boy made himself comfortable on patch of soft grass and began rummaging around in his bag for something to read.

He had successfully managed to avoid Marnie after their 'conversation' that morning and he hoped that he would be able to keep his distance for a few more days. In truth, he really wasn't all that mad at her…but the thought of admitting that he was ready to embrace his powers made him feel more then a little uncomfortable. He didn't want to seem like a hypocrite…and he certainly didn't want to admit that she was right about the whole 'magic is pretty cool' thing…

He was still having problems coming to terms with it himself and he didn't need his sister rubbing the issue in his face (which, knowing Marnie, was bound to happen).

The thought of finally embracing his magic filled him with a strange combination of feelings. He was excited to see what he could do…but he also felt embarrassed…and guilty.

Dylan knew he was being irrational, but a part of him felt that by embracing his powers he was betraying his parents. His mother had always advocated the benefits of being 'normal'…and his father had been a human who (Dylan assumed) would have wanted his children to lead regular human lives. Although his father had died when Dylan was only eight, he still felt the need to honour his memory by being the kind of son he would have wanted.

He wondered what his dad would say if he could see him here now…

He wasn't even sure if his dad had known that his mother was a witch…or that his children would inherit her powers…

Dylan wished that he could ask his mother these things, but the subject of his father was something that he didn't want to bring up. It always upset her too much and it was better to simply avoid the topic.

Sighing loudly, Dylan continued to rummage around in his bag. He finally caught sight of his magical literature text book but before he could grab it, a loud screaming noise coming from the witches glass on his wrist diverted his attention.

Scowling slightly, Dylan pulled his hand out of his bag and flipped open the magical device.

"Dylan!" His mother exclaimed happily as soon as her son answered her call. "I'm glad you picked up."

"Hey mom." He replied, relieved that it was her and not Marnie calling his witches glass. "How are you?"

"I'm good." Gwen began with a smile. "I miss you guys a lot though…it's been so quiet around here. Bu Sophie's coming home next week, so things should get a little better."

"She is?" Dylan asked, mildly surprised that his little sister had completed her first phase of training so quickly.

His mother nodded before replying. "Yes, your grandmother says she's mastered level one spells perfectly and she is going to come home for a bit of a magical break. That's actually why I'm calling. We're going to have a family dinner next Saturday to celebrate Sophie's graduation- are you free?"

"Sure. Sounds good." Dylan said with a nod.

"Great." His mother replied. "So next Saturday, 6:00, at your grandmother's house."

The boy nodded again. "Okay. That should be fine."

"Excellent. Unfortunately I have to run…there is a family coming by to look at this house now and I don't want to be caught talking to the kitchen sink again…"

Dylan chuckled. "Alright mom. I'll see you in a few weeks."

"Great! Love you sweetie. Be good." She replied before slowing fading away.

Dylan shut the witches glass and reached out to grab his book. Before he had a chance to flip to the first page, however, a voice behind him interrupted his short-lived silence.

"Dylan! Hey dude." Ethan said happily as he approached the other boy. "Ready to go?"

Dylan smiled at his friend and quickly shoved his book back in his bag. "Ready as I'll ever be." He replied as he got up off of the ground.

"Good. I called Benny to take us into town- he should be here any minute." Ethan began. "I say we go by the potions store first and get what we need for the power spell…then we can have some fun getting you in touch with your inner warlock."

Dylan nodded, trying not to flinch at the mention of the 'w' word. "Sounds good to me. Have you got a list of what we need for the spell?"

"You bet." Ethan replied, pulling a worn looking piece of brown paper out of his pocket. "It seems simple enough. We just need to pick up some witches bane, frog spit, and toads eyes. I think I've got everything else. The potion will take a few days to brew- when its done, I'll drink it, you say the spell and I should get my magic back."

Dylan turned to look directly at his friend. "You're going to _drink_ that?" he asked. "Wow…you must really miss your powers."

Ethan gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, I guess I do." He paused. "It won't be that bad. Definitely worth it. I'm just thankful I found the spell in the first place- I didn't think there was a way to get them back at all."

"How did you find the spell?" Dylan asked curiously as the two began to walk towards the road to wait for Benny.

"It was actually pretty weird…" Ethan replied. "Everyday for two weeks I woke up to find that the same old book had fallen off my bookshelf. I kept putting it back, and it kept reappearing…so one morning, I decided to actually open the thing, and the first page I turned to contained the power retrieval spell. I figure it must have been some sort of sign that I'm meant to do this….Weird, huh?"

"No kidding." Dylan replied.

But before the boys could discuss the matter further, a familiar yellow cab pulled up the curb. Benny gave them a friendly wave and the two headed over towards the car.

"Hey guys!" the overly enthusiastic skeleton said in his usual happy tone. "Where are you headed today?"

"Just into town." Ethan replied. "If you can drop us at the corner of Main St. that would be great."

"Sure thing!" Benny said as the boys hopped in and buckled their seatbelts. "I've got lots of rib-cracking jokes I can tell you on the way."

Ethan and Dylan exchanged a knowing look before sitting back and preparing themselves for a ride filled with cheesy jokes and bad puns.

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_Meanwhile…_

Edgar Dalloway could not suppress the wide grin that was spreading across his face.

"Yes…" he muttered. "Everything is going exactly as I planned…"


	4. Shopping

_Well, I SHOULD be studying, but I'm writing this instead. Sorry for another long wait. The good news is my essays are now done…the bad news is, I have exams next week._

_This chapter is a bit shorter then I expected, but it reached a natural end point so I stopped it. I'm going to launch right into the next chapter now (because I'm excited about it) so if all goes well, more should soon follow._

_Thanks for the reviews last time. They keep me inspired!_

_Enjoy!_

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_Half an hour later…_

Dylan and Ethan walked out of 'Pricilla's Potion Emporium" with the necessary ingredients in hand. I had taken them less then fifteen minutes to find what they needed for the power restoration potion and they were now ready to begin the more exciting part of their shopping trip.

"Okay," Ethan began as the two friends began heading down the sidewalk. "There are a couple of places we can go to get you a few more normal outfits. "Warlock Wear" has always been my favourite, but "Magical Apparel" has some good stuff too."

Dylan shrugged and tried not to show his apprehension. "Er…either is fine I guess." He paused. "Or we can just go back to campus. We don't have to do this today…"

"Yes. We do." Ethan decaled "I realize that this marks the beginning of a big change for you, but putting it off isn't going to make it any easier. We're here, and you CAN do this."

Dylan sighed. He knew that his friend was right. Embracing his magic wasn't easy for him, but he had already spent enough time in denial. It was time to finally accept it- accept himself- and be proud of what he was.

"Alright." Dylan agreed. "Let's do this. I'm not chickening out now."

The blonde boy smiled. "Good." He said happily before grabbing Dylan by the arm and dragging him into a small shop the corner of the main street.

Dylan was slightly taken aback by his friend's insistence, but his surprise was forgotten as he began to take in his new surroundings. At first glance, the shop didn't seem all that different then the mortal shops he was used too…but upon closer observation he began to notice the subtle, but important, changes.

Many of the clothes were brighter then anything he owned- items in purple, orange, yellow and every other colour under the rainbow hung on the walls and racks. Even stranger (by his standards), many of them were embellished by spider, pumpkin, and other Halloween related patterns.

There was one mannequin in the middle of the store and Dylan took a step towards it to get a better look at the outfit it was displaying. Before he had a chance to fully inspect it, however, the orange suit it was wearing suddenly began to fade away and was magically replaced by another completely different outfit.

"Woah…" he muttered, looking at the mannequin in shock.

That certainly didn't happen in mortal stores…

A quiet chuckle behind him distracted his attention away from the magical display and Dylan turned to see a petite, and very pretty, sales girl standing behind him.

"Never seen a magical mannequin before?" she asked, a slight grin on her face.

"No." Dylan replied honestly. "I'm new here. It caught me a little off guard."

The girl continued to smile. "I could tell." She paused and brushed a long strand of red hair behind her ear. "Is there anything I can help you guys with today?"

"No, I think we're just…" Dylan began, but before he could finish Ethan took a step forward and cut him off in mid-sentence.

"Yes, we could use some help." Ethan declared, sending the sales girl one of his charming smiles. "My boy Dylan here has finally decided to embrace his inner warlock and he needs a few outfits that don't scream 'mortal.' Any suggestions?"

Dylan shifted nervously as the girl gave him the once over. "You're a warlock?" she asked, raising her eyebrow in apprehension. "I don't remember ever seeing you in school."

"I grew up in the mortal world." He replied. "But I just started Witch U and I've noticed that I…er…well, stick out a little bit. Ethan seems to think that changing my clothes will help me blend in a bit more…and even though I don't really wan-"

Ethan took another step forward and elbowed him in the side, cutting off his sentence once again. "Don't listen to him." He said, shooting Dylan a look. "He's still in a bit of denial over this whole magic thing. He keeps trying to back out, even though he really does want to change."

Dylan opened his mouth to protest, but he shut it again when he realized that his friend was right. He wasn't sure why he was acting like this.

He DID want to change.

But, he supposed, after all of those years he had spent trying to be normal it was difficult to finally let his defences down and embrace the inevitable. His instinct was still to resist the weirdness, even though that wasn't really what he wanted anymore.

The sales girl looked back and forth between the two friends, obviously a bit taken aback by this strange circumstance. "Okay then…" she began slowly. "I'm sure I can come up with a few things. Just give me a second."

"Sure." Ethan replied. "Take your time."

The girl nodded and began looking around the store. Every few seconds, when she spotted something appropriate, she would summon the item to her with a flick of her wrist. After a few minutes, she was holding a substantial pile of clothing and she turned to pass it to Dylan.

"There you go." She said. "These should be about your size, and I tried to pick things that I thought would complement your hair and eyes."

"Alright." He said quietly as he took the pile out of her hands and walked towards the small change room. He was feeling more and more nervous by the moment, and he tried to ignore Ethan's satisfied looking smirk as he entered the change room and closed the curtain.

He hung the clothes on the hooks inside the room and took a second to step back and survey the girl's choices.

A dark purple blazer with silver spider shaped buttons…and orange button up shirt with a pumpkin embroidered onto the pocket…a pair of grey and black pinstriped pants with matching black coat and bright red shirt…a bright green tie…a purple belt with a spider clasp…

Much to his relief, there were also a few more normal looking pairs of pants and a couple of plain black t-shirts.

He decided to try those first…

After pulling on a pair of plain black pants and a plain black shirt, he reluctantly opened the curtain to find Ethan and the sales girl waiting expectantly.

Upon seeing his friend, Ethan shook his head in amusement. "Yeah Dylan…really daring outfit there…"

Dylan folded his arms in annoyance. "What? It's more black then I usually wear. That's a change."

The sales girl smiled in amusement. "It's a start." She said, walking towards the change room and summoning a few more garments into her hand. "I put the plain black in there so that you could pair it with more traditional elements." She handed him the purple blazer and the purple spider belt. "Here. Put these on too."

Reluctantly, Dylan did as he was told and, after shooting a glare in Ethan's direction, he turned to take in his reflection.

As he stared into the full length mirror, his eyes widened in surprise; he had to admit, the clothing did make a pretty big difference. This outfit was much different then his usual kaki's and neutrally tones sweater vests. The black had a clean classic feel to it, and the purple (which he_ never _would have picked out on his own) added a definite Halloweentown touch.

Dylan shifted the blazer slightly and turned to get a fuller view of the outfit.

No, he certainly didn't look like a mortal anymore.

He looked like a warlock…

And he looked _good._

"Do you like it?" the girl asked.

Dylan turned around to face her and Ethan, trying very hard to hide the smile tugging at the sides of his mouth.

He did like it. He liked it a lot…

"Yeah, I guess its okay." He replied, not allowing himself to appear too enthusiastic. "I suppose I could get used to it."

Ethan gave him a knowing grin. "Good. Now go try on some more."

Dylan nodded and returned to the change room, suddenly excited to experiment with the rest of the outfits.

He had not been as reluctant as he had made himself seem, but even he was surprised by this new surge of enthusiasm.

His new look had, somehow, felt right.

It made him feel confident…

It made him feel happy…

And most of all, it made him feel like he could finally be himself…

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_A/N Not much plot…but an important part of Dylan's self discovery. Hope you enjoyed it._

_If you want more, **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	5. Memory

_Well, no one has reviewed the last chapter yet, but since I've written this one I'm going to assume you want more…_

_Please do review though. I'll loose my enthusiasm if you don't…_

_Most of this chapter is a flash back to just after the first movie. Hope you enjoy it!_

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Dylan threw his large shopping bag down on his bed and shut the door behind him with a magical flick of his wrist.

He and Ethan had spent the better part of the afternoon in the clothing store and, at the end of the ordeal, Dylan had ended up going home with several new outfits…and the sales girl's phone number.

On the way back to campus, Ethan had kept going on about how he should give her a call and ask her out that weekend, but Dylan had tried to brush it off. The girl (whose name had turned out to be Elizabeth) may have given him her number, but Dylan was sure that she didn't like him _like that_. Girls never saw him as anything more then a friend…he was dorky awkward Dylan…and years of rejection had taught him that he certainly wasn't a desirable boyfriend.

Elizabeth was very nice- and very cute- and very out of his league…

Sighing loudly, Dylan flopped down on his bed next to the shopping bag and stared up at the old cracked ceiling. All things considered, it really hadn't been a bad day. He really was excited about the new look…but there was, unfortunately, still a part of him that wanted to keep up the mortal façade.

He had spent seven long, and sometimes painful, years in denial.

His first trip to Halloweentown had changed his life forever and, although there was no going back now, the memory of his blissfully ignorant childhood years sometimes filled him with nostalgia.

Even though he had never fit in, it had been nice at least _thinking_ that he was normal.

He wasn't normal though…

He never had been.

And his twelfth Halloween night had made that painfully clear…

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_flashback_

_Piper household, November1st, 1998…_

Twelve year old Dylan Piper sat alone in his room, staring numbly at the empty wall.

His body felt weak and shaky, and his mind was spinning with a hundred unanswered questions.

He couldn't believe it.

He wouldn't believe it…

Magic wasn't real- and he most certainly was NOT a warlock.

To say that the previous day had been eventful would have been an understatement. After a surprise visit from their Grandmother, Dylan and his sisters had followed her to a strange looking bus stop and had somehow ended up in some freaky alternate dimension where fairies, goblins, werewolves, witches at all other magical creatures lived in supposed peace and harmony.

He had always found it odd that his grandmother only came to visit on Halloween…but he never could have guessed that that was because she was a witch who lived in another realm.

They had been driven to her house by a talking skeleton and had watched as she brewed potions and said spells. Marie and Sophie had loved every second…but Dylan was far from enthused. He had convinced himself that he was dreaming…

He had grown up believing in logic and science…and he had been absolutely convinced that magic didn't exist.

But, as the day wore on it had become harder and harder to deny. An evil shadow creature had frozen his mother and grandmother…they had gone around town collecting ghost sweat, werewolf hair, and other unbelievable magical ingredients…Sophie and Marnie had activated Merlin's sceptre with a spell…

And they had _all_ defeated the evil warlock responsible for Halloweentown's troubles.

_He_- boring, normal Dylan Piper- had done magic.

_He_ had helped his family defeat Kalabar.

_He_ wasn't fully human…

Thinking through yesterday's events sent a shiver through his spine. His mother had been lying to them all these years. She was a witch, and he and his sisters had inherited her powers.

He felt betrayed, and angry, and confused.

And, most of all, he felt scared.

He didn't know what to expect next. His Grandmother had now come to stay with them and was currently showing his sisters how to levitate small objects in the living room. He could hear their excited laughter…and it made him feel sick.

He hadn't asked for this. He couldn't deal with it. Not now. Not ever.

All he had ever wanted was to be normal…

Drawing in a deep breath, Dylan looked down at his shaking hands.

He hoped beyond hope that maybe he really had been lucky enough not to take after the rest of his family. Sure, he had thought that he had seen blue sparks coming from his finger tips yesterday, but perhaps he had been imaging things. It had been a rather traumatic day, after all.

Deep down, however, he knew that he was only fooling himself. It hadn't been a dream…and he really could do magic.

The boy continued to look down at his hands. He had to be sure…he had to try one more time…

Trying to push away his doubts and fears, Dylan concentrated on dredging up the feelings that had gone through him yesterday. He thought about Kalabar's evil laugh…he thought about how the warlock had threatened his family…he thought about how angry he had been…how much he had wanted to get him back…

He felt a strange force come over him and, seconds later, his eyes widened in shock as the same blue sparks began to crackle between his fingers.

His mind began to race.

It was true.

He was doing it again…

Now sufficiently convinced (and more then a little nauseous) Dylan shook his hands in an attempt to make the sparks stop. Instead of simply fizzing out as it had last time, however, the blue light shot across the room and blew a nearby glass of water to pieces with a loud bang.

Dylan yelped and jumped up from his bed. He was breathing hard, and starring down at the broken glass in terror. He had blown it up without even touching it.

He had used magic…

Body shaking and blood pumping loudly in his ears, Dylan turned to run out of the room. He had to get away…he had to forget…

Unfortunately, he only managed to take two steps before crashing into his mother.

Gwen had arrived to see what the commotion was, and after a quick survey of the room, she was able to make a fairly educated guess.

"Oh, sweetie…" she began, kneeling down to look her son in the eye. "Did you…did you blow up that glass?"

Dylan hesitated. He wanted to deny it…he wanted to pretend that everything was fine…but he had never been able to lie to his mother…

Reluctantly, he nodded. "I didn't mean to." He said quietly. "But the sparks came back…and when I shook my hands, the glass exploded."

Gwen nodded and drew him in for a much needed hug.

"Why is this happening to me?" the boy asked, comforted slightly by his mothers embrace. "Why can't I make it stop?"

His mother gave a deep sigh and backed up so that she could look him in the eye once again. "I'm so sorry sweetie, but there is nothing you can do." She replied, her eyes portraying her regret and pain. "You're…you're a warlock, Dylan. You're going to have to learn how to cope with that."

Hearing her say what he already knew was true filled him with a sudden surge of anger. He jerked away from his mother's touch and took a step back towards his room.

"I don't want to be a freak!" he shouted, not caring that his mother looked hurt by his words. "This is all _your _fault! _You're_ the reason I'm like this!"

Gwen closed her eyes for a moment and drew another deep breath. "I know." She whispered, choking back tears. "And I'm so sorry."

""Sorry" doesn't mean anything!" Dylan shot back, unable to keep his anger inside. "I don't want you to be sorry-I want you to fix this! I want to be normal again!"

"Oh Dylan…" Gwen began, reaching out towards him.

He took another step back.

"I wish I could do that." She continued, obviously hurt by his angry words. "But I can't. This is who you are, and you have to accept that. You don't have to use your powers- I'd never make you do that- but you will have to lean how to control them so that they don't prevent you from having a normal life."

Dylan scoffed. "A normal life?" he asked bitterly. "How can I have a normal life now!? I can do magic…I'm not even fully human!"

"Dylan…" Gwen began, reaching out to comfort him. "Please calm down. We need to talk about this."

But he wasn't in the mood for a hug. And he certainly wasn't in the mood for a calm conversation.

She wasn't telling him what he wanted to hear, and he wanted her to leave him alone.

"Don't touch me!" he shouted with more anger then he had expected. He took a few more shaking steps towards his room. "I don't want to talk about it! Just…just stay away from me you…you…witch!"

His mother brought her hand to her chest and a look of undeniable anguish crossed her face. Dylan didn't care. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted her to feel as bad as he felt.

It _was_ her fault.

She should have stayed were she belonged. She shouldn't have brought three innocent children into this world only to subject them to a lifetime of ostracism and insecurity.

And, at the very least, she should have told them the _truth_.

Dylan took one final step into his room. There were so many emotions swirling inside of him, and he had to get away from the outside world. He hated this…he hated himself…

He was furious, angry, hurt, terrified…

BANG, the door magically slammed itself shut, blocking out his mother…blocking out reality.

Hardly noticing his further display of magic, Dylan threw himself onto his bed and buried his face in his pillow.

He wanted to forget it all…but he knew that he couldn't.

Things would never be the same again…

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_November 2nd 2006…_

Dylan sighed as he ran though that terrible day in his head.

Things had never been quite so emotional after that- and he _had _forgiven his mother- but that day had expressed most of what he had continued to feel for the next seven years.

He had been angry for a long time.

And then he had attempted to deny it all.

That had been impossible though. And he had, eventually, began to accept it. This past month had seemed to almost complete his emotional journey. He knew what he was now, and he was even proud to come from such a prestigious magical family.

That angry little twelve year old boy had nearly faded away, and his anger had been replaced by contentment…and a sense of belonging.

The only thing left to do now was to show those closest to him that he really had changed.

He had accepted himself, and he knew that was the first step towards being accepted by others…

Getting up from his bead, Dylan dumped his new clothes out of the shopping bag and pulled his favourite outfit from the pile. It was time to start a new phase in his life…

But first, he had to talk to Marnie…

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_A/N There you go. Hope it gave some good emotional insight. Next up- a little hert to heart…then the plot really thickens. _

_REVIEW IF YOU WANT AN UPDATE!_

_Cheers!_


	6. Talking

_Here's another one. Hope its okay. I shouldn't be doing this, because I have an exam coming up…but I needed a break. It's a bit mushy…but I hope its good mush!_

_Enjoy!_

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Dylan slowly made his way up the long winding staircase that lead to Marnie's room. As much as he wanted to get this conversation over with, he couldn't help but feel nervous and he was deliberately taking his time so that he would have a few extra minutes to mull things over.

He paused for a moment on the tenth step, and took in his surroundings. Even the stairway up to Marnie's room was nice- elaborately decorated candlesticks adorned the walls and lush purple silks were draped across the small niches that were carved into the walls. It figured that his sister would get a huge room in her own private wing of the castle while he, the forgettable sibling, would be put in a regular old dorm like all the other students.

Not that he thought he deserved extra privileges- but he was slightly bothered by the fact that Marnie always got the special Cromwell treatment while he was pushed aside. He was a Cromwell too, after all, and probably just as powerful as his sister was. Hell, if his grandmother hadn't decided to renounce their families claim to the Halloweentown throne and establish a democracy,_ he_ (as the oldest male heir) would probably be the one in charge of this entire castle right now…

Frankly, he was glad that he didn't have that kind of responsibility to worry about, but it would be nice if people remembered that he existed.

As he continued his trek up the stairs, Dylan's mind drifted back to that horrible Halloween two years ago when Marnie had exposed their family secret to the entire school. Edgar Dalloway had come out of the portal to claim 'all' of the Cromwell magic, but had only thought to zap the powers out of his mother, sister, and grandmother…

He had been standing right behind them the entire time, and had even braced himself for yet another magical mishap- but it had never come. Dalloway hadn't even realized that there was a fourth Cromwell in the room or, if he had, he obviously didn't think Dylan was worth the effort.

Thankfully everyone's powers had been restored at the end of the ordeal, and everything had appeared to wrap up quite nicely.

It hadn't been an end for Dylan though….it had only been a beginning…

He had dwelled on that event for several painful weeks and, horrible as it was, it had forced him to realize several things. Even though he had kept his powers that night, he had found himself unable to think of anything useful that would have saved his family. He could have done something to Dalloway- hexed him, frozen him…anything that would have protected those he loved most. But he couldn't.

He didn't know how.

That revelation had inspired him to finally start putting his powers to use. He still wasn't happy about being a warlock, and it would have been easier to continue living in denial, but he couldn't allow something similar to happen again. His sister was always getting the family into trouble, and he wouldn't have been able to live with himself if it ever fell on him to save the day and, because of his stubbornness, he failed them all. He knew that he had to learn at least a few useful spells and- much to his surprise- once he got started, he found that the magic thing really wasn't so bad after all.

In a strange and unexpected way, that night had changed everything. He didn't want to be useless, and he didn't want to be forgettable…

And finally embracing his powers was the one way to ensure that that never happened again.

Dylan was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice another figure coming down the stairway in the opposite direction. He absentmindedly collided with the person's chest and they both stumbled back, grabbing onto the wall for balance.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Dylan said, finally looking up to see that he had run into his sisters friend (and now roommate) Aneesa.

"Hey, no problem. Neither was I." The genie replied, dusting off her brightly coloured pants and giving him a warm smile.

He couldn't help but notice as, seconds later, her smile faltered and quickly turned into an expression of shock.

"Dylan?" Aneesa gaped, giving him a quick once over and obviously noting his dramatic change in attire. "Woah. I didn't recognise you for a second…" she paused "Why are you dressed like a warlock?"

Dylan tried very hard not to glare at her. He expected people to be slightly perplexed by his new look, but he hadn't been expecting quite this much shock. Had he really given off that strong of a mortal vibe before? He hadn't thought so…

"Maybe because I am a warlock." He replied after a few seconds, attempting to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Aneesa was a nice girl, after all, and he couldn't really blame her for being surprised (as annoying as it was).

"Oh…right…well, obviously…but…" she stuttered, now embarrassed that she had brought it up. "It's just- Marnie says you hate magic related stuff…so I was caught a little off guard. Sorry."

Dylan nodded and tried to brush it off. "It's okay." He paused. "Speaking of Marnie, is she upstairs?"

Aneesa nodded. "Yep, she's just finishing off some homework."

"Good, glad I caught her." He replied "See you later Aneesa."

"Yeah, see you."

And with that, she scurried off down the stairs, obviously eager to escape the awkward atmosphere.

Dylan sighed and walked up the final few steps. If his encounter with Aneesa had caused that much shock he could only guess how bad Marnie's reaction would be. She would probably laugh- and then ask if he was joking…and then refuse to believe him when he said he wasn't.

But, if he was really going to go though with this, he was going to have to face her sooner or later…he wasn't going to turn back now.

Reluctantly, Dylan raised his arm and knocked softly on Marnie's big oak door.

His heart was beating wildly and his head was spinning, but he forced himself to stay put.

He could do this.

He had too…

Dylan took one last deep breath as he listened to his sisters footsteps approach the door. _This was really it._

Seconds later, Marnie yanked open the door and he unenthusiastically found himself face to face with his biggest critic. As he had expected, Marnie's eyes immediately grew wide as she surveyed his appearance and it took her several excruciatingly silent moments to usher him into the room and shut the door.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but before a single sound passed her lips, she turned abruptly and sat herself down on the edge of her bed.

Dylan found himself standing awkwardly by the doorway, locked in his sister's unflinching gaze and wishing, for the firs time in his life, that she would say something. _Anything._

Marnie was _never_ silent. This had to be a bad sign.

After was felt like half an hour (but was probably only thirty seconds), she finally broke the silence.

"Okay." She said, her voice surprisingly calm. "Explain."

Dylan took a deep breath and continued to stare at his sister. Frustratingly, he found himself unable to read her tone or her expression. He had expected her to be laughing at him by this point- but she wasn't.

She almost seemed…serious.

"I…well…" he began, choking on his words. "I think we need to talk."

"Yeah. Obviously." Marnie replied, folding her arms across her chest and looking up to meet his eyes. "What is going on with you? First you get all weird at breakfast, and now you come up here looking like…like you live in Halloweentown." She paused and looked contemplative for a moment. "Are you under some sort of personality changing curse or something?"

Dylan smiled slightly. He could have sworn that he heard a genuine note of concern in that last statement.

"No," he replied "I'm not under any curse. I've just decided that…" he hesitated "That I'm tired of not fitting in, and tired of not being myself."

"Dylan, you d-"

But before she could finish her sentence, Dylan held up his hand and cut her off. "Just let me talk, okay?" he began again. "Before you laugh at me or make fun of me, I want you to hear me out."

With a sigh, the young witch shut her mouth and gave a slow nod.

"Good." Dylan said, before taking a calming breath and gathering up the courage to continue. "Look, I know you- and everyone- sees me as the family outcast. And for a long time, that was exactly how I felt. Our first trip to Halloweentown changed everything, and for several years after that, I would lay in bed every night, trying to convince myself that it had never happened, and that magic wasn't real. It was impossible to deny it though. I'd come downstairs in the morning to see you levitating a box of cereal across the room, or to find that Grandma had set an ogre loose in the house, or to see Sophie attempting to fly her broom down the hallway, or …well, you get the idea. I had always felt like the outcast at school, and now that I was sitting on this huge family secret I began to withdraw even more. I was so scared that I'd accidentally blurt it all out…or worse, accidentally do magic. Because no matter how much I tired to deny it, whenever I was in a particularly emotional situation, I could feel the power inside of me just itching to get out…"

Dylan paused and averted his gaze down to the wooden floor. "I avoided confronting it at all costs, but I always knew that I…was one of you, and that no amount of mind games could ever change that. It was better to live in denial though, because embracing it was too scary. I was so incredibly scared back then, Marnie." He confessed quietly, looking up to meet her gaze once again. "I was afraid of what I could do and afraid of what people would do to me if they found out…and as time went on, that fear turned into anger, and I became hostile towards the mere mention of the 'M' word. I'd snap whenever Grandma brought up the topic of my training, or get mad when any of you started using your powers…not because I was really mad at any of you, but because it reminded me of what I was, and reminded me of my fear…"

He trailed off, and tried to read the expression on Marnie's face. She looked shocked (as expected), but there was also something else. Something that could have been interpreted as…understanding.

Was it possible that his outgoing, popular, magic-loving sister actually understood some of his feelings? He hadn't thought that it was possible. They had always seemed so completely different- especially when it came to their thoughts on Halloweentown.

"Okay." Marnie said softly, snapping him away from his thoughts. "So what changed? Why? When?"

"Two years ago." The boy began again, feeling relieved that she hadn't yet laughed at his long winded confession. It felt great to get this off of his chest and finally explain how he had _really_ felt for all those years. "After the exchange incident. It made me realize that pretending to be normal wasn't going to work anymore, and I decided that it was about time that I made use of my powers. I started sneaking your old spell books out of your room and I taught myself as many spells as I could. I was terrified at first, but once I got the hang of it, I actually started to enjoy it. I was completely ostracized at school by this point, and once I learned how to speed read, not even regular school work was enough to fill the time. I worked through the books pretty quickly, but I still wasn't ready to tell anyone about my new hobby. After all those years, 'magic-hating Dylan' had sort of become my persona, and I knew that I'd be a big hypocrite if I suddenly admitted that I did like magic after all."

"So no one else knows?" Marnie interrupted her eyes still wide.

Dylan shook his head. "Mom knows." He admitted. "She found out a few months ago, and I told her a lot of what I'm telling you right now. I thought she'd be mad, or loose respect for me or something…but she didn't. And that inspired me to keep going…and to take the opportunity to go to Witch U."

"That explains why you weren't angrier about having to follow me here." Marnie mused. "I was wondering about that. I mean, you always said you hated Halloweentown, and then suddenly you agreed to spend four years here. That did strike me as a little odd."

"Yeah." Dylan agreed, smiling slightly and feeling completely thrilled that this was not disintegrating into the screaming match he had envisioned. "I had taught myself everything I could on my own, and I was actually happy about getting some real training. The no magic rule kind of killed that ambition, but I still didn't mind being here."

Marnie nodded. "Okay then, that gets us up to why you don't hate it here, but I'm still wondering what inspired you to get such a dramatic new wardrobe."

Dylan looked down at his new attire for a moment and proudly adjusted his purple blazer. "Well, after feeling like such an outcast in the human world for so long, I finally wanted to fit in somewhere. I had accepted that fact that I was a warlock, but I still didn't look the part…so I asked Ethan if he would give me some advice, and we went into town to get some new clothes."

"_So that _explains why the two of you were acting so secretive this morning." The girl chuckled, shaking her head in bemusement. "And here I was worried that my brother and my boyfriend were involved in some terrible conspiracy or something…" she trailed off and looked back up at her brother with a smile. "Well Dylan," she began again. "I'm proud of you for finally getting over your fears and accepting your powers. I wish you had spoken to me sooner though- I know I didn't show it, but I was scared for a long time too. Sure I had always been fascinated by 'freaky' things…but I had never suspected that I was an actual witch, and when I really thought about it, there were aspects that scared me too."

As he listened to his sister speak, Dylan's mouth fell open in shock. He certainly hadn't expected her to take it this well…let alone admit that she was _proud_ of him. And hearing her- his confidant, powerful sister- say that she had been scare too, had caught him completely off guard.

"What's wrong Dylan?" Marnie asked, getting up from her bed and walked towards him. "You look like you just saw a ghost." She paused. "Not that that would be all that weird around here…"

"I'm just…I just didn't expect you to be so _nice_ for a change." He admitted, feeling somewhat guilty for underestimating her. "I was sure you'd laugh, and mock me until I regretted ever coming here."

The girl smiled again. "Yeah…well, don't get used to it." She said with a wink. "Tomorrow I'll go back to being your annoying older sister…but right now, I know that isn't want you need. Believe it or not, I _can _be sensitive sometimes."

Dylan laughed. "Yeah…I suppose that I should know that _anything_ is possible by now."

She gave him an affectionate punch in the arm before joining into his chuckles. "Yes, I suppose so." She agreed.

After the two had regained their composure, Dylan opened the door and took a step out into the hallway. It had been an extremely long day, and now that this was taken care of, he was looking forward to some nice relaxation time in his room.

"Thanks for listening Marnie." He said, giving her one last smile.

"Sure, no problem." She replied. "And for what it's worth, I think the new outfit looks good. My boyfriend makes great style choices, doesn't he?"

"You bet." Dylan nodded. "Goodnight Marnie. I'll see you later."

And with that he began to head back down the long winding steps. He had only gone down two stairs, however, when his sister's voice caused him to turn back around.

"Oh, one more thing." She said, leaning against the door frame with a smirk on her face. "About the whole 'magic is actually pretty cool' thing…" she paused and shot him her victorious smile "I TOTALLY told you so."

Dylan chuckled and shook his head. _That_ was sister he was used to.

"Yeah Marnie." He conceded. "You win."

And this time, she truly had.

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Ethan Dalloway placed the potion ingredients on his bookshelf and sat down on his bed with the dusty old tome that contained the power restoration spell.

He read the page over for the hundredth time, making sure (once again) that he really had taken everything into consideration.

He seemed to have all of the ingredients now…and the incantation was simple enough…

All that he had left to worry about was making the potion properly and performing the spell before they had to sign up for their electives next week.

There still had not been an official announcement about when sign up would be, but rumour had it that they would be holding some sort of signup/ testing thing on Wednesday.

That left him less then a week to get his powers back, but with any luck, he was sure that everything would be fine. By next Wednesday, he'd have his magic, he'd be able to sign up for the classes he wanted, and Marnie would be happy to be dating a _real_ warlock who could share her love of spells and midnight flights.

Yes…everything was going to be perfect.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Meanwhile…_

As Edgar Dalloway watched his son leaf through the old spell book, he could not suppress the wide grin that was growing on his face.

It was all too easy…and Ethan, as usual, had proven himself to be far too easy to manipulate.

"What? What are you looking at?" A voice asked, breaking his concentration and, thus, his view of his son.

Edgar turned around and gave his companion an angry glare. "I was watching my son, Grogg." He replied, making no attempt to mask his annoyance. "And he just so happens to be our ticket out of here."

"Really?" a third voice asked as its owner emerged from the thick fog that clouded this alternate dimension. "Ethan? How? I thought he was on the 'good' side. He's dating the Cromwell girl."

Edgar grimaced at the reminder. He hated that his pathetic excuse for a son had betrayed him so terribly. Not only had the idiot helped the Cromwell's imprison him, he had now given up his powers, and begun dating the girl that had ruined everything.

"He doesn't know he's helping us." Edgar said, glancing over at Dr. Goodwin. "I've been channelling the magical residue that floats around this realm and using what little power I can muster to influence events in Halloweentown." He paused and took a moment to smile at his own brilliance. "Everyday for two weeks I made the same old book fall onto Ethan's bedroom floor and open to the same page. He finally got the hint and noticed that the book was opening to a power restoration spell."

"Oh." Goodwin said, her forehead crinkled in confusion. "So…you think he's going to get his powers back and break us out? Because I don-"

"No, you idiot." Edgar snapped. "He's too much of a goodie-goodie to ever do that. What he doesn't know, is that when he performs the spell to restore his powers, _my_ powers will be restored too. And once that happens, I'll get us out of here, and we'll finally get our revenge on those meddlesome Cromwell's…"

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A/N Dun dun DUN! The plot thickens…

I doubt anyone picked up on the detail about the book two chapters ago, but this is what it was leading up to ;) Hope it was a mildly decent twist.

If you want more, REVIEW.

I have to admit; I'm a bit worn out/short on time and might not keep going if you don't keep me inspired :(


	7. Pain

_Hello! Yes…it has been months…and I AM a horrible person (who has had way too many things going on)- but for some reason I just got a bunch of new reviews for this story and it inspired me to keep going. I still have a lot of essays and tests to get though, but with any luck I will continue eventually._

_Even sooner if you **REVIEW.** _

_Anyway…enjoy. I must be feeling depressed today because this chapter got rather morbid. I hope you enjoy the back-story though- I've wondered a lot of things about the characters pasts and this is an attempt to fill some things in._

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Rain pounded against the side of the old castle, and the hammering of thunder echoed in the distance. Classes had ended a few hours ago, and most of the students' at Witch University were miserably confined to their rooms, attempting to get through at least some of their homework.

For two of the students', however, homework was not a current concern.

Dylan Piper and Ethan Dalloway (who were both usually diligent in their studies) had decided to put aside their assignments and focus on another (arguably more important) task; making the power restoration potion.

They had begun working on the brew in Ethan's dorm room yesterday evening and, if all went according to plan, they hoped to be done sometime in the next two days. This would give them just enough time to carry out the spell and have Ethan's powers back in working order before class testing began on the following Tuesday.

"Did you put the werewolf toenails in yet?" Ethan asked, looking up at his friend who was currently standing next to the large brass cauldron. "It says that once we add those we have to let it simmer for at least three hours."

"Haven't done it quite yet." Dylan replied, his gaze firmly focused on the bubbling brew. "I want to make sure that it reaches the right shade of green before I add them. We need to give it a few more minutes."

Ethan tried not to sigh as he went back to examine the dusty old book which contained the rather complicated potion instructions. He was trying his best to be patient, but he was finding it hard not to be too eager. He had been without his powers for long enough, and the sooner he got them back, the better.

He was, however, glad that Dylan was there to hold him back. It was a very meticulous recipe, and Dylan was right to take things slowly. For someone who had spent several years hating magic, he sure seemed to know a lot about potion making…

Ethan looked up from the text again and took a second to muse about the recent changes his friend had undergone. When he had first met Dylan a few years ago, Ethan hadn't really paid him much notice. He had been too self absorbed, and too wrapped up in the world of magic to ever really pay attention to some who seemed so…mortal. After the incident with his father, however, he had done a lot of soul searching and concluded that he didn't want to follow his father's dark path. Edgar Dalloway had constantly spoken about the superiority of witches and warlocks, and most conversations in their house had involved derogatory comments about mortals and 'inferior' magical creatures. He hadn't always been that way though…and Ethan could remember a time, back when his mother had still been alive, when his father hadn't been filled with such hate. Somehow, he had managed to hold onto those memories, and a part of him had always known that what his father tried to propagate was wrong. After his father was imprisoned, he was finally free to be himself and to associate with whoever he wanted…like Marnie and Dylan. And he was happy to discover that even those who his father had dismissed as mortal-loving fools were actually interesting and enjoyable people.

Dylan was much more then just some boring mortal- he was a really nice guy, and a loyal friend, who Ethan was glad to have as a companion. And, as the last few days had shown, he really wasn't a boring mortal at all.

Far from it.

Now that he had finally accepted his magic, he was turning out to be a rather talented warlock- who seemed to have quite the flair for potion making.

"I think it's ready now." Dylan proclaimed, breaking Ethan away from his thoughts. "I'll add the toenails."

Ethan handed his friend a small jar filled with the nasty looking ingredient and watched as Dylan carefully counted out the correct amount and threw them into the cauldron. A puff of foul smelling grey smoke rose up off of the brew, casing both boys to take a few steps back.

"Ugh, is that supposed to happen?" Ethan asked, holing his nose to block the smell.

Dylan nodded. "Yeah. It's the werewolf toenails reacting to the vampire tears that we put in last night…the two species are traditional enemies so any potion that involves ingredients from both usually reacts badly for a bit. Don't worry, it'll pass."

"Good." Ethan replied, relieved to see that the cloud was already dissipating. "How do you know all of this stuff?"

Dylan shrugged. "Books." He replied, as he began to fan out the remainder of the cloud with his hand. "There, that's better."

Chucking at his friends bookish ways, Ethan took his hand away from his nose and flopped down on the edge of his bed. "So." He began. "If that has to simmer then I guess we can't do any more tonight."

"Yeah, we should probably wait until tomorrow." Dylan agreed as he took a seat behind Ethan's cluttered desk and looked down at the book to make sure that they had done everything right. "But don't worry, we're doing well- you'll have your powers back this weekend."

Ethan smiled. "Good. And thanks again for agreeing to do this. I feel like such an idiot for getting rid of them in the first place, and you're the only one I trust enough to help me get them back."

"No problem" Dylan replied. "But I'm still surprised that you didn't want someone more qualified…I'm still new at this."

The blonde boy shrugged and looked up at the old wooden ceiling. "I think you've shown that you're more then qualified." He began. "And besides, you're pretty much the only other warlock I consider a friend…"

There was a brief silence before Dylan continued.

"Do you mind if I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"You went through grade school and high school in Halloween town but- please don't take this the wrong way- you don't really seem to talk to a lot of people besides Marnie and I." Dylan hesitated. "Aren't you friends with any of the people you grew up with? You've lived here all of your life, you must have gotten close to someone in all of those years…"

Ethan sighed, and gazed out of the small dormitory window, trying to gather his thoughts as he watched the rain drops pelt against the glass. Dylan was right. He didn't have many friends…and he really didn't talk to anyone he had gone to school with for the past twelve years.

But he had his reasons.

"I know." He began, quietly. "It's just…I had a really strange childhood and really didn't get too close to anyone. The first few years of school, I had a bunch of friends, and things were great…but after my mother died, I started to pull away from them. I was only eight, and my world had been torn apart- I didn't feel like playing or having fun anymore, and I didn't want to get close to anyone because I was afraid they would leave me…like she had." Ethan paused and drew a deep breath. It was a hard thing for him to talk about, but it was nice to finally have someone who would listen. "I pretty much kept to myself and, as my dad started to get more and more swept up in his anti-mortal and anti-creature ideologies, he forbade me from hanging out with non- witches and warlocks. The only person I really talked to in high school was Cassie- but she's gone off to study in the mortal work now, so that kind of left me on my own. I suppose I could try to reconnect with old classmates, but you know how hard it is to convince people that you've changed…I can't blame them for not wanting to be around me. I was a pretty miserable person to be around back then…"

Dylan gave his friend a sympathetic smile as he finished with his explanation. Even though the two had been raised in very different situations, he could relate to a lot of what Ethan had said. "I'm sorry to hear that the school years weren't much fun." Dylan began. "For what it's worth, I can understand how you felt."

Ethan turned towards him. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Dylan replied. "My dad died when I was eleven, so I know what its like to want to pull away. You think that your parent's will always be there- they are what makes your life stable- but if one of them suddenly disappears then you feel like the world as you know it has come to an end. You're not sure of anything anymore, and you're scared to form new relationships because you think they might disappear on you too."

Ethan nodded. His friend really did seem to know what it was like, and he was happy to finally have someone who understood his experiences.

"I never really made any friends either." Dylan continued. "At first because I was too scared to get close to anyone, and after my twelfth Halloween, because I was too scared that they would discover what I really was."

There was another moment of silence, neither knew if they wanted to go further down into their dark pasts.

Sharing was therapeutic, but it also dredged up years of suppressed memories…

Ethan hesitated before letting his morbid curiosity get the better of him. "If you don't mind me asking…what happened to your Dad?" He asked quietly.

Dylan looked down at the dark wooden desk. "Cancer." He replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "He collapsed one night at dinner and when we got to the hospital they told us he probably wouldn't wake up. The cancer had spread without any symptoms, and it was too late to do anything about it. After a few days in the hospital, he was gone." He paused. "We never really got to say goodbye. And there are so many things I wish I could ask him…I don't even know if he knew about my mom being a witch. I don't know if he knew about us…"

"That's rough." Ethan replied sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear it."

Dylan tried to shrug it off. "Not much I can do about it now." He paused. "What about your mom? Why did she…"

The end of his sentence hung in the air as Ethan tried to get him self to force the story out. "Like I said," he began slowly. "I was eight at the time, and my mom decided that it was time for me to see the mortal world. My dad wasn't thrilled with the idea, but he decided to let her go ahead with it, so on Halloween night we all got on the bus and crossed over. Everything was fine at first- we giggled at all of the silly costumes kids were wearing, went into a few mortal shops and bought souvenirs…it was fun. Just before we were about to go back to the bus stop, my mom realized that she had dropped her wallet across the street, and she ran over to get it…"Ethan trailed off as the memories of that painful day came flooding back.

He could see her smiling at him from across the street, her golden hair glittering in the moonlight.

She looked so happy.

So carefree.

And then…

"As she went to pick it up, a car roared around the street and swerved onto the sidewalk…and then she was gone. Just like that." He shuddered at the memory. "My dad never recovered from the loss. For all of his faults, he really did love her- we both did- and he became increasingly dark and obsessive after she was gone. He didn't just blame it on the drunk guy in the car…he blamed it on every mortal, and he let his hate build up over the years until he finally lost his last bit of sanity."

"Wow." Dylan said quietly. "I had no idea…"

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, but like you said, what's done is done."

"I guess."

Ethan sighed and rubbed his eyes, suddenly aware that he was quite tired. Sensing that his friend was worn out- both from his long day and his emotional outpouring- Dylan stood up from his seat and took a few steps towards the door.

"I should be going." He said, with a weak smile. "I'm sorry that my question brought up so many unhappy thoughts."

"Don't worry about it." Ethan shrugged. "I tend to repress things…its good to finally talk about it."

"Agreed." Dylan nodded. "Well, good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, sleep well."

And with that, Dylan was gone.

Running a hand through his hair, Ethan flopped back on his bed, dark thoughts running through his head. He tried not to think about 'that day' but it was impossible not to at times. He knew that that type of loss was not something you were meant to recover from, and he knew that the void he felt when he thought about his mother would never go away.

She had been a wonderful mom- always gentle and caring. When he tried hard enough, he could sometimes hear her soft voice, singing him to sleep on a stormy winter's night.

He could almost feel her soft kiss on his forehead, or the warm embrace that had always let him know that he was safe.

Life had been so wonderful.

So happy.

Until she had gone…

After that, things had never been the same again, and what was left of his family had fallen to pieces.

Trying to resist the tears that were welling in his eyes, Ethan reached towards his bedside table and opened the small creaky drawer. He moved aside a few meaningless pieces of paper until he found the small worn photograph he had been looking for.

There she was.

Smiling up at him with her gentle grin and sparking blue eyes- completely oblivious to her grisly fate.

He touched the side of her face with a shaking finger, wishing that she could somehow reach out and comfort him.

"I miss you mom." He whispered. "So much."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Meanwhile…_

Dylan closed the door to Ethan's room and leaned against the cold stone wall across the hall. He hadn't expected their potion making to lead to such a serious discussion and he was still a bit shaken by the horrible memories he had dredged up.

He had been thinking about his dad a lot recently- and wishing that he could ask him the questions that were weighing so heavily on his mind. He could easily share his recent decision to embrace magic with the rest of his family…but his dad was gone, and he would never have the chance to seek his approval.

That hurt.

And a nagging voice in the back of his head was persistently telling him that he was betraying his father…

Sighing, and trying in vain to shift his focus to something else, Dylan began to head back to his room. He only managed to take a few steps, however, when a sudden idea flashed through his mind, causing him to freeze in his place.

A jolt of excitement ran through him, and he quickly turned and re routed himself towards the library.

He had a plan.

And he hoped beyond hope that magic wouldn't let him down…

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	8. Broken

Even though it was a warm Friday afternoon, and classes were over for the weekend, Marie Piper was _not_ in a good mood.

This entire week had been very bizarre- and she was not amused.

She had been hoping that, with the Dominion safely gone, things would begin to settle down and life would go back to being relatively normal.

Unfortunately, that was not to be.

Both her brother and her boyfriend had been acting very strangely all week and she couldn't help but suspect that something was going on.

First there had been the episode at breakfast a few days ago…when Dylan had stormed out after she had (very innocently) assumed that he wouldn't want to enrol in a magical elective.

Then Ethan and Dylan had gone into town without her, acting very secretive about what they were up to.

And later that same day, Dylan had come to her room- looking very unlike him self and confessing that he really _did_ like magic.

After a rather unexpected heart to heart with her brother, Marnie had been sure that she had figured out their secret; Dylan wanted to act more like a warlock, and he had enlisted Ethan's help.

But their mysterious behaviour had carried on for the rest of the week, and it was fairly obvious that Marnie was still out of the loop. They were still hiding something, and she was determined to find out what it was.

As Dylan's sister, and Ethan's girlfriend, she had a right to know what was going on. She refused to let this continue.

Straightening her back and holding her head up high, Marnie marched into the library, and made her way over to the large wooden table where she had spotted Dylan. She stopped about a foot away from his chair, and folded her arms across her chest to show that she was_ not_ amused. She hoped that the intimidation tactics she had used when they were kids would still have the same effect…

When Dylan (much to her annoyance) failed to acknowledge her presence, she cleared her throat loudly.

He finally looked up.

"Oh, hey Marnie." He said, suppressing a yawn. He had clearly been in the library for several hours and the dark circles around his eyes indicated that he had not slept in a fairly long time.

Marnie resisted the urge to give her exhausted looking brother sympathy.

_I don't care if he's tired_, she told herself, _he is going to tell me what is going on_.

"We need to talk." Marnie stated, her voice quiet but firm.

"It's really not the best ti-"

"Now." She confirmed, taking a seat across from him at the table.

Dylan sighed and closed the oversized book he had been skimming. "What?" he asked, annoyed.

"You and Ethan have been acting strangely all week." She began, starring directly at him in an attempt to make him uncomfortable. "At first, I thought it was just about your wardrobe change, but we've gotten past that now and you two are_ still_ being all secretive." Marnie paused and tried to give him her deadliest glare. "I demand to know what is going on."

Much to her surprise, Dylan shook his head and gave a quiet laugh. "You 'demand' it, huh?" He folded his arms across his chest. "Sorry Marnie , it's not really my secret to tell and I'm not going to tell it. If you want answers, go talk to Ethan."

Marnie slumped back in her seat and pouted. She was beginning to regret putting the Cromwell 'Gift' in his possession- she really could have used it right now to give her demands a bit of a magical boost. Dylan clearly wasn't going to talk- it seemed like more then his wardrobe had changed recently. He wasn't afraid of his big sister any more…

"I…I…" Marnie began, trying to come up with a good comeback. "If you don't tell me now I'll call mom and tell her that…um…you're spending all of your time in the library and haven't been sleeping."

Dylan shrugged. "I'll just tell her I have assignments to do. She can't get mad at me for doing homework."

Marnie glared again. "What_ are_ you doing anyway?" She asked, looking at the large pile of books on the table. A lot of them seemed to be very old spell books…and many weren't even in English. "This doesn't look like homework. Does it have something to do with Ethan?"

Dylan shook his head "No." he replied quietly. "This has nothing to do with Ethan."

"Fine. Whatever." Marnie said, letting her limited patience get the best of her. "I'm going to go find him."

"You do that." Dylan replied, going back to one of his old books.

Marnie took a step and then turned back to address him one more time. "Mom called earlier." She said, her voice stiff and formal. "She said to remind you about the family dinner at Grandma's on Saturday. So, consider yourself reminded."

"Yeah, thanks." Dylan said, not bothering to look up.

Infuriated by his aloof and stubborn behaviour, Marnie let out a frustrated sigh and marched off to find her so-called boyfriend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'Bang Bang Bang'

Three loud knocks on his bedroom door caused Ethan to look up from his magical history assignment.

He was tempted to pretend that he wasn't there- he wasn't really in the mood for visitors, and he didn't want to risk anyone finding the large vat of potion that was currently hidden in his closet…

'Bang Bang Bang'

The person knocked again.

They were clearly determined to see him, and the urgency of their knock told him that they probably wouldn't go away until he responded.

With a loud sigh, Ethan folded up his books and went to answer the door. He hoped that whoever it was only had a quick question and would soon be on their way. He was far too preoccupied to entertain a guest right now.

Grasping the old brass doorknob and yanking open the door, Ethan was surprised to see Marnie standing on the other side. Her arms were folded across her chest and her lips were pursed into a tight line- it was instantly obvious that she was not in a good mood.

"What took you so long?" The young witch asked, brushing past her boyfriend as she uninvitedly entered the room. "Are you avoiding me?"

Ethan shot her a confused look. He hadn't even opened his mouth and she was already throwing accusations at him.

She had definitely woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning…

"I'm not avoiding you." He answered reassuringly. "I was working on an assignment and it took me a few seconds to get to the door." He paused. "Besides, it's not like I could tell that it was you on the other side."

"Fine." She replied, her tone indicating that it wasn't 'fine' at all. "But that doesn't change the fact that you _have_ been avoiding me all week. You're up to something, and I want to know what it is."

Ethan was about to reply that that wasn't true, but hesitated. She _did_ have a point…he had been pretty preoccupied with the power restoration potion and hadn't really made an effort to spend time with her that week.

The boy sighed. "Look." He began slowly. "I know I've been a bit busy this week…"

"No kidding." She muttered, cutting him off before he could finish.

"I'm sorry Marnie." He began again. "I'm not avoiding you, I just have a lot on my mind right now."

Her expression softened slightly as she looked into his honest blue eyes. "Alright." She replied. "Well, then why don't we talk about it? I _am_ your girlfriend after all, we're supposed to share things with each other."

Ethan broke their eye contact and looked down at the old wooden floor.

She was right…

He shouldn't be keeping secrets from her…

But, for some strange reason, the thought of telling her what he was up to didn't feel right. He didn't know if it was because of embarrassment, shame, or pride…but Ethan found himself unable to admit that he hadn't felt the same since loosing his powers and was now concocting a plan to get them back.

Besides, his plan had been to surprise her with a romantic display of magic when he _did_ get his magic back. Telling her now would definitely ruin that…

"Look…Marnie…" he began, trying to come up with an answer that would pacify her. "I'm not doing anything bad- I just…this isn't the right time to talk about it. You just have to trust me…"

She snorted. "Trust you?" she asked. "I'm finding it hard to trust you after all of the sneaking around this week."

"I'm not sneaking around." He replied "I'm just dealing with a few things…"

"Right." She shot back. "Things you can tell Dylan but can't, for some reason, tell your own girlfriend!" Her voice rose as she spoke, at it was clear that her anger was not subsiding.

Ethan drew a deep breath, not sure how he was going to get himself out of this one.

"Marnie, please." He tried again, reaching out to place a gentle hand on her arm. She jerked away from his touch and took a few steps towards the door.

"Don't try those sad puppy dog eyes on me Ethan Dalloway!" she said angrily. "It's not going to work this time." She folded her arms and glared piercingly into his eyes. "Either you tell me what you are up to, or I am walking out of here _we_ are finished. For good."

Ethan's mouth dropped open in shock- he had realized that she was angry but he certainly hadn't expected such a harsh ultimatum.

She couldn't actually be serious…could she?

"I… can't…I…" he stuttered, at a loss for words.

Marnie threw her hands up in exasperation. "Fine then." She said heatedly. "Forget it. I don't know why I thought this could even work in the first place. You are obviously the same conceited little boy that you were when I first met you, and I am obviously not worthy of your time."

"Marnie please, that's not true!"

"I've had enough of this." She replied, taking a few brusque steps towards the door. "We're done."

And with that, she stormed off down the hallway, leaving a stunned Ethan in her wake.

He stood, frozen in place, for several long minutes- trying to make sense of what had just happened.

He could understand her annoyance….but ending their relationship all together! It all seemed like too much.

Giving a long sigh and trying to fight back the frustrated tears prickling behind his eyes, Ethan flopped down on his bed. He stared up at the wooden ceiling and tried to let his mind drift away from his overwhelming reality.

This otherwise average day had quickly turned into a horrible one.

He didn't think that things could possibly get any worse.

If only he could have known how wrong he was…

His troubles were only just beginning…

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The clock had just struck midnight as Dylan Piper rushed into his dorm room. His body was shaking with an overwhelming amount of nervous energy and he was hardly able to contain his excitement.

After a day and a half of endless searching, he had finally found the spell that he had been looking for. He wasn't sure if it would work…it was a little unconventional…and it required someone with pretty strong magic…but he was willing to give it a shot.

He had to try.

Heart pumping loudly in his chest, Dylan pulled twelve white candles out of his cabinet and dispersed them throughout the room. Too impatient to search for matches, the boy waved his hand, instantly lighting all twelve with a small burst of magic.

It all seemed so easy…

He hoped it wasn't too good to be true.

Spreading the old tome he had hauled back from the library on the floor, Dylan took one final glance around the room before clearing his throat and reciting the ancient spell;

"Clywed rhain geiriau,

Clywed rhain llefain,

Ysbryd gan amgen tu,

Ar draws rhannu."

The room fell silent, and he waited in eager anticipation- hoping beyond hope that this would actually work.

After several seconds, he let out a long breath, trying not to allow the disappointment overcome him.

It didn't seem to be working.

He had been a fool to hope…

Dylan reached out to close the dusty old book, but the feeling of a sudden rush of wind across his cheek caused him to freeze in mid gesture.

_Maybe…_

_Just Maybe_…

The overhead lights flickered and the flames on the candles became unnaturally bright. He could feel the unmistakable aura of magic building up in the small room.

_It was happening...this was it._

_The moment he had dreamt of for so many years…_

He covered his eyes as a bright flash of white light emitted from the twelve candles. It faded after a moment, and he blinked several times, trying to adjust his eyes. The room looked different now. There was something ethereal about it.

And he was no longer alone…

"Dylan." A man said, smiling gently down at the stunned boy.

Dylan drew a deep breath.

"Dad?"

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A/N Thanks so much to those who reviewed last time- this is for you!

If you want more, PLEASE REVIEW- reviews keep me going!

Hope you liked it!


	9. Sleepless

_AN- Thanks to all who reviewed. This update is for you!_

_A few things to note:_

_- Yes, Dylan really has summoned his father from the dead (I got the inspiration for this from 'Charmed'. They summoned dead family members on that show all the time.)- he's not alive…but he is temporarily back in the land of the living. _

_- And, for those that don't remember (it was mentioned in the 1__st__ movie)- their fathers name is William Piper (just incase you thought I was making the name up)_

_Enjoy! _

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_(Last time…)_

_Dylan covered his eyes as a bright flash of white light emitted from the twelve candles. It faded after a moment, and he blinked several times, trying to adjust his eyes. The room looked different now. There was something ethereal about it._

_And he was no longer alone…_

"_Dylan." A man said, smiling gently down at the stunned boy._

_Dylan drew a deep breath._

"_Dad?"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dylan could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he stared at the familiar, and very real, figure in front of him. When he had come up with the idea of using magic to contact his dad, he had been fairly certain that it was hopeless. He may have been a Cromwell, but contacting the dead required some serious power and Dylan didn't think he really had a chance.

And yet, by some miracle, he had actually done it.

His father was standing in front of him.

The spell had worked, and the moment he had dreamt of for so many years had arrived…

"Is…is it really you?" Dylan stuttered, struggling to overcome his shock. The figure certainly looked like his father- he had the same sandy blonde hair and deep brown eyes that Dylan remembered- but he had to be sure. He had to know that the image in front of him wasn't simply a combination of his own desire and fatigue.

The man smiled again and gave a nod of affirmation. "Yes, it's me." He replied quietly. "And I am very glad that I am able to speak to you at last."

Dylan drew several deep breaths and attempted to gather his thoughts.

He wasn't sure how long the spell would last, and he knew that he couldn't afford to waste these precious minutes. Shaking, and feeling more then a little overwhelmed, Dylan pushed himself up off of the floor and got to his feet. His eyes remained locked on his father's surprisingly solid form, and it took all of his will power not to launch himself across the room and breakdown into the comfort of the other mans arms.

There were things that he needed to know…things that he needed to say…and he wasn't going to let the shock of the situation overtake him.

He had to remain calm, no matter how much he wanted to let his emotions show.

This was quite possibly the only chance he would have to ask the questions that had been weighing him down for so many years…

"You're actually here …" Dylan muttered as he took a small step towards his father. "I…I didn't think it was really possible…"

To his surprise, his father gave a small chuckle. "Well…almost anything is possible with magic, isn't it?" he paused. "Although I suppose you're more of an expert then me."

Dylan froze, somewhat surprised that his father had used the 'm' word so freely. His response implied that he _did_ know about his mother's secret…and about what his children had become.

Deciding that he needed further confirmation, Dylan drew another deep breath. "So you know then…about magic I mean. And about mom…"

William Piper nodded. "Yes." He replied, answering the question that had been occupying Dylan's thoughts for several long years. "Your mother told me everything. I knew there was something special about her from the moment we met. She kept her magic a secret for the first few months, but after I proposed to her, she confessed. She said she couldn't lie to me if we going to be spending the rest of our lives together…" he trailed off and smiled sadly at the memory of happier times…and at the thought of what might have been.

"You knew for all of that time, and you never said anything?" Dylan asked, mixed emotions welling inside of him. On the one hand, he was happy to know that his father loved his mother despite her….uniqueness…but he wasn't quite as thrilled to know that _both _of his parents had been withholding the truth from him and his sisters.

The older man gave his son an apologetic look. "We both decided that it would be best to keep you and your sisters away from the magical world." He began. "You mother had decided to give it up, and I was just a clueless mortal…we didn't think there was any point in trying to teach you about magic or Halloweentown. We thought it was for the best. We wanted things to be normal…we wanted to protect you."

Dylan nodded, trying to accept the fact that they had both had good intentions.

They never cold have predicted what was going to happen on his twelfth Halloween.

They never could have foreseen that all three of their children would inevitably become wrapped up in a world of magic.

Dylan sighed and took a moment to glance around the small dark dorm room. "I guess your plan didn't really work, huh?" he paused. "Do you…I mean, even though you're…do you know about Marnie, Sophie and I?"

"Yes." The man replied, looking directly into his sons eyes. "Of course. Your mother told me that you would all probably be special, and Marnie was showing signs of magic even before I died." He paused. "And just because I'm gone, doesn't mean I don't check in on you guys. I know that you've all been using your magic, and that you and Marnie are at Witch University."

Dylan felt his heart rate increase. "How?" he asked, his voice hardly a whisper.

"I may have moved on from this life," William Piper began sadly. "But my spirit continues to exist. There are other dimensions…other realms…and although I can no longer remain in this one, I can still check in from time to time. I love you all so much, and I have been with you every step of the way."

The boy nodded. He could not even begin to understand that complexities of the universe, but he knew that what his father was telling him was true.

He had never really left them…and he never really would.

"Are you mad at us?" Dylan asked, finally choking out the question that he so desperately wanted to ask. "Are you ashamed? Do you wish that we had stayed in the mortal world?" he paused, trying to fight of the tears that were prickling behind his tired eyes. "I tried to be normal." He began again, his voice quieter then before. "I tried so hard…for you. I always wanted to make you proud- even after you were gone- and I didn't think you'd be proud to have a freak for a son. But I couldn't fight it dad…no matter how much I wanted to. This is who I am. I…I'm a warlock. And I'm so sorry that I let you down."

Silence hung in the air as Dylan finished his emotional outpouring. It felt so good to get all of that off of his chest. He had been holding it in for far too long…almost eight years…and, painful as it was, it needed to be said.

After a few moments, he heard his father give a long sigh. He wanted to look up and meet him in the eye, but he couldn't force himself to do it.

He was too ashamed.

Too embarrassed.

And he knew that his father's disappointed gaze would confirm his deepest fears…

"Oh Dylan." The older man began, shaking his head sadly. "Do you honestly think that I could be mad at you for being yourself?"

The boy opened his mouth to respond, but found himself at a loss for words.

"You couldn't be further from the truth." His father continued gently. "I am so proud of what you have accomplished. You're a brilliant young man, and you've come so far…" he paused, his voice beginning to shake with emotion. "I couldn't have asked for a better son."

Dylan let out several deep breaths as he attempted to absorb what his father had said.

Did he really mean it?

How could his father possibly be proud of _him_?

He had been a social outcast in the mortal world- his father's world- and had finally turned his back on it in favour of a magical life…

"Please don't tell me that you've been burdened with these feeling for all of these years." The man began again, breaking Dylan away from his thoughts. "I have _never_ been ashamed for you, or your sisters, and I never will be. I will never regret meeting your mother or having three very special children…our time together may have been cut short, but you all gave me the best years of my life. I love you all…so much."

Dylan finally forced himself to look up at his father, no longer able to fight back his tears.

An enormous sense of relief washed over him, and his body shook as years of pent up tension slowly began to fade away.

He hadn't failed.

He hadn't let his father down…

"I love you too dad." He whispered as he took another step towards him. "And I miss you."

His father smiled sadly as he reached out and placed a gentle hand on his son's cheek. "I miss you too." He replied, savouring their last movements together, trying to memorize every detail of his sons face.

After a few brief moments of silent bliss a look of sadness crossed the older mans face. Dylan could tell instantly that their reunion was, far too quickly, coming to an end.

"I have to go now." His father said quietly. "I'm being pulled back…"

Dylan nodded as he allowed his hot tears to stream down his face. He wished that his father didn't have to go…but he knew that there was no choice. The spell was only temporary, and he was lucky that it had worked at all.

He was thankful for the little time that they did have, and he knew that he would always treasure it…

Dylan felt his father's touch leave him and he watched as the man slowly began to fade away.

"I'm so proud of you Dylan." His father said, his voice weaker then before. "Don't ever forget that."

"I won't" Dylan choked.

"And please tell everyone how much I love them."

The boy nodded. "I will."

The man gave him one final smile as his form became increasingly transparent.

Dylan smiled back and, a few short seconds later, his father was gone.

Now alone once again, Dylan stared at the spot where his father had been standing, trying to deal with the myriad of emotions that were swirling around inside of him.

He didn't know how he was supposed to feel right now. He was upset to see his dad go…and filled with the same sense of loss that thoughts of his father had always evoked.

He was also, however, filled with an immense feeling of satisfaction. Although their time together had been brief, he was happy that he had been able to talk to his father…and happy that he had been able to see him one final time.

His exhaustion overcoming him, Dylan Piper collapsed onto his bed, his cheeks wet with tears of both sorrow and joy.

He could sleep soundly tonight.

His questions had finally been answered…

And the shame and guilt that had burdened him for so long, had finally begun to fade away…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was half past midnight, and Gwen Piper couldn't sleep.

She had gone to bed over two hours ago and, after much tossing and turning, had concluded that her attempts were futile.

So, instead, she had decided to make herself a cup of herbal tea and was currently channel surfing in the small, but cosy, family room.

She wished that the kids were home to keep her company. Both Dylan and Marnie were night owls and, had they been home, she was certain that at least one of them would still be awake and willing to talk. She briefly contemplated calling them on the witches' glass but quickly reminded herself that they wouldn't want to be bothered by their sentimental old mother in the middle of the night.

As much as it pained her to admit it, Gwen knew that her two oldest children had grown up. She also knew that things would never be the same again.

Sighing loudly, Gwen put down the remote and starred blankly ahead at the silent television.

This was certainly not how she had pictured spending her middle age…

She was alone, in a big old house…without her kids…and without her husband…

She had never intended for things to turn out this way and yet, somehow, they had. Gwen knew, however, that unpredictability was simply a fact of life. No matter how much you wanted something, or how hard you wished for it, sometimes, things were simply out of your control.

Twenty years ago, it had seemed that her life was finally heading in the right direction, and she had been foolish enough to think that she had everything figured out. She had left Halloweentown (a place when she had never quite fit in) and found happiness with a wonderful and caring mortal. William had not known anything about her or her families legacy…to him, she wasn't "a Cromwell", she was just Gwen- and that was all she had ever wanted to be. He had made her so happy and, despite having to leave her parents and her childhood home behind, she thought she had finally found her rightful place. By some miracle, he hadn't even been scared off when she confessed that she was a witch- sure, he had been shocked at first and it took him a few weeks to recover from the shock, but he had stuck by her. He had loved her…

Their marriage had been a happy one, and it had been made even better by the arrival of their three beautiful children. They rarely spoke of magic, or her old life…they lived in the moment, and savoured every day they spent together.

Things had been perfect…

_Too_ perfect…

And, looking back, it almost seemed that their tragic separation was inevitable. Good things never seemed to last. William had died, very suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving her alone to deal with their three heartbroken children…

She had done her best to stay strong- for them- but on the inside, she had never recovered from the loss of her one true love. She still thought of him every day, and she knew that the void she felt would never go away.

Despite her best efforts, things had gone even further downhill after her husband's death. A few short years later, the kids (much to her displeasure) had followed their Grandmother into Halloweentown and discovered their magical heritage. This brought about a whole new set of problems, and had eventually led to the current situation.

When she had first discovered she was pregnant, she and William had discussed how they wanted to raise their children. She knew that it was very likely that their kids would inherit her magic, but they both agreed that things would be easier if they didn't burden their kids with this fact. They lived in the human world, after all, and there was no need for their children to know anything about broomsticks, potions and magical creatures…

The plan to withhold this information had, however, backfired. Terribly. And, although there was nothing she could do about it now, Gwen could not help but wonder if they had made the right decision.

The discovery of magic on Marine's 13th Halloween had led to a lot of tension in the Piper household. Marnie and Sophie had been eager to embrace their powers and her mother was eager to help them do so. This led to a lot of clashes between Gwen and the other three females in the household- even though the secret was out, she had still tried to cling onto the bit of normalcy that they had left. Her girls had, however, resisted - and now both were off in other dimensions developing their craft.

Dylan had been entirely different challenge. After _that_ Halloween, Gwen had been heartbroken to find that her son was extremely angry at her. Dylan did not want to be a warlock and, in the year after the incident, he had become increasingly moody and avoided discussion of the 'm' word at all costs. Her sweet little boy had pulled away from her, and she knew that he (quite rightfully) blamed her for the situation.

Her mother hadn't really helped matters. Even though Gwen had assured Dylan that he didn't have to use his powers if he didn't want to, Aggie (who simply couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to use magic) had attempted to teach the boy spells and potions along with his sisters. After much debate, Gwen had finally put her foot down and Dylan was spared from his Grandmothers lessons. Realizing that his mother really was on his side, Dylan had then begun to confide in her once again, and their relationship had been somewhat repaired. They still didn't discuss magic though, and Gwen had been more then a little surprised when she had caught her son practicing spells in his bedroom one night.

It was then that she had realized that her attempt to raise her kids as mortals had failed on all three counts. She wasn't disappointed really- she knew what it was like, and even she found herself itching to use magic on occasion- but she was, however, consumed with guilt. The decision to keep her kids away from magic had obviously backfired, and she realized that telling them the truth from the beginning would have spared them all from the tension and arguments which had taken place over the last several years.

She had realized that she couldn't tell her children how to live their lives, and she knew that she had been a fool to try.

They had chosen their own paths and- unfortunately for her- all of their destines seemed to lie in a world of magic.

Drawing a deep sigh, Gwen glanced over that the family photograph that had been taken a few short weeks before William's death. She wondered how different things would be if he was still alive. At the very least, she wouldn't be alone right now. They would be missing their children together...in the comfort of each others arms.

But he wasn't there.

And she was alone…

Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder why she still clung to a mortal life. It would make more sense just to give it up and join the rest of her family in Halloweentown. But, she supposed, staying here, in this house, was her way of holding onto her husband. This place was full of memories, and she wasn't ready to leave it. She didn't think she ever would be…

No…this was not how she had pictured her life…

But this was still where she wanted to be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was 1am, and Ethan Dalloway was sitting at his old wooden desk, starring at his closet in silence.

Even though he couldn't see it through the closed door, he knew that the potion bubbling on the other side was almost finished. It just needed to simmer for a few more hours, and then he would finally be able to drink what he needed and regain his powers.

He knew he should be trying to sleep, but the recent events in his life made relaxation difficult. His conversation with Marnie- in which she had decided to end their relationship- still had him stunned. He couldn't believe it…he thought things had been going so well…and he though regaining his powers would only make things better…

But in his preoccupation with the power restoration ritual, he had let their relationship slip and messed everything up.

He hoped there was still a way to fix things.

Maybe she had been so overcome by the heat of the moment that she had said things she didn't really mean…

Maybe she would rethink the situation and realize that she had acted to irrationally…

Sighing, Ethan stretched out his legs and leaned back in his chair. He had briefly contemplated giving up on the powers restoration thing…but he had already come so far, and even if he and Marnie didn't get back together, he could at least say that something good had come out of this week. And who knew, maybe he could wow her with his magic and win her back. Maybe if he explained what he had been up to, she would understand…

Ethan glanced up at the clock and sighed again.

Just a few more hours…

Once the sun came up, he could wake Dylan, and finally get this over with.

By this time tomorrow, he would finally have his magic back.

All he had to do now, was wait…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In another dimension, Edgar Dalloway smiled.

_Tomorrow…_

He thought gleefully

_Tomorrow I will have my revenge…_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N I know it was more reflective then action packed…but I assure you that the good stuff is coming…IF you review ;)**


	10. Unleashed

Dylan awoke to the sound of someone banging loudly on his bedroom door.

He groaned and covered his head with his pillow in an attempt to drown out the noise, but whoever it was persisted with their urgent knocking. His flimsy pillow did nothing to block it out.

"Alright, I'm coming." Dylan grumbled as he rolled out of his comfortable bed and placed his feet on the cold wooden floor. A quick glance at the clock told him that it was almost noon, and although he was still drained from the previous night's excitement, he decided that it probably was best to get up and start the day. His preoccupation with summoning his father had put him behind on his homework, and he knew that he had a lot of catching up to do this weekend.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he made his way towards the door and yanked it open to find Ethan standing on the other side. The blonde boy looked both exhausted and excited, and he strode, uninvited, into the room.

"It's ready!" Ethan proclaimed, leaning against Dylan's desk with a wide grin on his face.

Dylan yawned, still not quite awake. "What?"

"The power restoration potion!" Ethan replied, rolling his eyes. "You know…the thing we've been working on all week. It finally turned light blue and, according to the book, that means it's ready to use."

"Oh, right." Dylan replied, feeling stupid for having forgotten. "Well, just let me get ready and grab a bit of food- then we can carry out the ceremony and get you your powers back."

Ethan smiled. "Awesome. I can't believe we actually did it…" he paused and his grin faded slightly. "And with any luck, my powers won't be the only thing I'll get back today."

Dylan shit him a perplexed look. "What does that mean?"

The other boy hesitated. He had contemplated telling his friend about the Marnie situation, but had decided against it. He knew that Dylan really didn't like hearing about Ethan's relationship with his sister, and he really didn't want to stick him in the middle of it.

"Nothing." He replied quickly. "So, you'll come by my room when you're ready?"

Dylan nodded. "Sounds good. I shouldn't be too long- I just need a few minutes."

"Great! And thanks again- for agreeing to help with this."

"No problem." Dylan replied. "And thank you- for helping me adjust to my new life here. These past few days have been great…I'm finally beginning to feel like I can be myself."

Ethan smiled. "Sure thing. Just glad I could repay the favour a bit." He paused and took a few steps towards the door. "See you in a bit."

"Yeah." Dylan replied. "I'll see you soon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Marnie flopped down on her bed with a frustrated sigh. She had barricaded herself in her room after yesterday afternoons disastrous conversation with Ethan, and no one- not even her best friend and roommate Aneesa- had managed to quell her stormy mood.

Even though she was still annoyed by Ethan and Dylan's secrecy, she knew that she had overreacted. It was silly to expect them to tell her everything…as much as she hated to admit it, she knew that they were both entitled to their privacy.

She had contemplated apologising to Ethan, but she still couldn't make herself do it. If there was one thing Marnie Piper hated, it was admitting that she had been wrong…and she knew that she needed a bit more time to cool off before attempting some sort of reconciliation. She hoped, however, that it wasn't already too late.

She had thought that Ethan liked her just as much as she liked him…but what if she had been wrong?

What if his secrecy was a symptom of his dissatisfaction with their relationship?

What if he had asked Dylan how to break up with her? Maybe that's what they had been whispering about all week…

Marnie doubted that her brother would partake in such a scheme against her- despite their bickering she knew that, deep down, they both cared about each other. They were siblings, after all, and they had been through so much together. But she could never be one hundred percent sure…

Sighing again, Marnie closed her eyes and tried to let herself drift away from her problems. She had hardly slept last night, and she could use a few more hours of rest before going to her Grandmother's for dinner.

She groaned at the thought of the upcoming evening.

Initially, she had been looking forward to seeing her mother, sister and Grandmother- as much as she enjoyed University, she missed seeing them on a daily basis. But now, in light of her problems with Ethan, she really didn't feel like facing the rest of her family. They'd ask her how things were going…ask her about Ethan. And she really wasn't ready to discuss it…she did not want their pity.

She didn't really have a choice though. Not going at all would arouse even more suspicion. With any luck, she could simply avoid the topic and get through the night without showing too much emotion.

She glanced at the clock.

Twelve fifteen.

She had to be at her Grandmother's in three hours.

Marnie hoped that it would be an uneventful night. Getting away from the school for a bit would probably do her some good…she needed to get her mind off of things.

She was sure that a nice relaxing family dinner would be less stressful then the emotional rollercoaster she had been experiencing all week…

_What could possibly go wrong…?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Half an hour later, Dylan and Ethan were sitting in Ethan's dorm room, going over the procedure one last time.

"So, as you take a gulp of the potion, I'll say the spell." Dylan explained, looking up from the dusty old tome. "If we did everything right, you should feel a flash of energy course through your body, and your powers will be restored."

Ethan nodded as his friend spoke. He could feel the excitement welling inside of him, and he could hardly wait to get things underway. Even though it had seemed logical at the time, he knew he had been stupid to surrender his powers- magic was such a big part of him, and he had felt so empty without it. He was a warlock to the core…he simply wasn't cut out for a mortal life.

"Sounds good!" he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Can't wait."

Dylan chuckled, amused by his friends enthusiasm. A few years ago, he would have been baffled by Ethan's desire to regain his magic- to him, being normal had been such a strong, but unobtainable, goal. Now, however, he was beginning to understand. Magic had so many amazing things to offer- if given the chance to renounce his powers now, he didn't think he'd be able to. He was a warlock…and he was no longer ashamed to admit it.

"Alright then." Dylan began again. "Lets do this."

Ethan nodded and placed his hand firmly around the cup that now contained a mouthful of a bubbling blue potion. The two friends locked eyes, and prepared themselves for what was to come. Both were fairly certain that they had done everything right…but there was still a slight nervousness in the room. If they had made a mistake, neither knew what might happen…

"Okay…three…two…one…"

Ethan lifted the cup to his lips and let the foul tasting concoction slide down his throat as Dylan looked down at the book and began reading the incantation.

"_Minnau, fardd rhiain feinir,  
Yn llawen iawn mewn llwyn ir,  
A'r galon fradw yn cadw cof,  
A'r enaid yn ir ynof."_

For a second, nothing happened, and a horrible silence hung in the air.

Ethan felt his heart sink.

Maybe it wasn't working…

Maybe they had done something wrong…

But, before he had a chance to express any of his worries, he felt a strange sensation flow through his body. It began as tingling warmth in his feet which slowly began to make its way through his body. Within a few seconds, the feeling had consumed him, and he felt himself buzzing with energy.

He involuntarily flung out his hand, emitting a flash of light and causing the contents of his bookshelf to topple onto the floor.

Despite the huge mess he had created, Ethan could not help but grin. It had been far too long since he had felt magic flowing through him.

He hadn't realized how much he had missed it.

A few moments later, the warmth faded and the buzzing stopped- but he could tell that his powers had been fully restored.

Dylan watched him intently, taking the random bust of magic as a good sign. "It worked?" he asked curiously.

Ethan nodded. "I think so."

Deciding to make sure, he focused on one of the books that now lay on the floor and waved his hand. The book flew across the room, directly into his grasp, and he smiled again.

"Yep- it definitely worked." He confirmed, hardly able to contain his glee.

They had done it.

They had really done it.

He was himself again…

Feeling exhilarated and more alive then he had in months, Ethan turned to face his friend. "Thanks again Dylan." He said, still smiling. "This is great. I never could have done it without you."

Dylan smiled back. "Sure, glad to help." He paused and surveyed the mess Ethan had made of his bookshelf. "Do you want me to stay and help you clean this up?"

The other boy shook his head. "No, I can do it." He said, flicking his wrist and sending a book flying back to its rightful place. "It'll be good practice."

"Okay then." Dylan replied, standing up from his spot behind Ethan's desk. "I should be going then. I've got a massive pile of homework to get through this weekend." He took a few steps towards the door. "I'm glad everything worked out. I'll see you later."

Ethan nodded. "Yep. I'll see you in a few days when we _both _sign up for our magical electives."

Dylan chuckled. "Yeah…who'd have thought?"

"Things are certainly looking up." Ethan replied. "I'm willing to bet that the rest of this year is going to be awesome….or, at the very least, a little less crazy."

"Let's hope so." Dylan said as he stepped out into the hallway and gave his friend a wave. "Have a good evening."

Ethan waved back. "You too."

As Dylan walked away, Ethan closed the door with a flick of his wrist.

Yes…

It was good to be back.

Still grinning, and amazed by their easy success, Ethan turned to look at the massive pile of books on the floor. On a regular day, he would have hated cleaning it up…but today, he was trilled that he had an excuse to exercise his magic. He quickly got to work, sending each tome flying magically back to its rightful place on the shelf.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four…

He paused after sending the fourth book across the room. Something at the bottom of the pile had caught his eye, and he moved towards it to investigate. Shifting a few of the books, he was surprised to find that his witches' glass was emitting a mysterious orange glow.

That certainly wasn't normal…

He hadn't seen it do anything like that before.

Intrigued, and slightly worried, Ethan reached out to touch the item. Before he could grab it, however, the glow intensified and he jumped back in surprise, shielding his eyes from the blinding flash.

After a few heart stopping seconds, the light faded away, and the young warlock reluctantly looked towards the witches' glass, blinking furiously to clear his vision.

As the world came back into focus, Ethan realized that he was no longer alone…

"Hello, son." A deep voice sneered. "Thank you for facilitating my escape."

Ethan gasped.

_Edgar Dalloway was free… _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N** Dun dun DUN!

Hope people liked it. More to come soon. Even though very few people are reading it, I have to get this story out of my head. If you ARE one of my few readers, please help me get it out faster by **REVIEWING.**

Cheers!


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